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Hans India
3 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
Collectors step in to allay farmers' fears on mango procurement
Tirupati / Chittoor: In a bid to allay the growing concerns among mango farmers over procurement issues, Tirupati District Collector Dr S Venkateswar and Chittoor District In-charge Collector G Vidyadhari assured that the State Government is fully committed to supporting Totapuri mango farmers in all aspects. Speaking to the media in Tirupati and Chittoor, the Collectors urged farmers not to panic, stating that the government is taking all necessary steps to safeguard their interests. They highlighted that favourable climatic conditions and precautionary measures taken by farmers have led to a significant increase in mango yield this season. However, international market dynamics, particularly the impact of the Ukraine war, have caused a sharp decline in mango pulp exports. The duo noted that companies like Parle, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi have been sourcing heavily from markets in neighbouring states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, especially from the Krishnagiri market. This led to a surplus in pulp stock over the last two seasons. To address this situation, the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed procurement of Totapuri mangoes at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs.12 per kilogram to ensure that no farmer incurs losses. Of this, Rs.8 will be paid by processing units, while the remaining Rs.4 will be provided as a subsidy by the State Government. Officials will be present at every ramp and market yard to supervise the procurement process at processing units. Farmers have been advised not to harvest mangoes prematurely and to wait until the fruits reach optimal ripeness to avoid spoilage. The government has also promised to provide the Rs.4 subsidy per kilogram up to the last kilo procured, ensuring complete coverage for all farmers. The Collectors cautioned against farmers rushing to mandis, traders, or pulp industries before harvest is fully ready, as doing so may lead to extended waiting times at processing units and potential fruit damage. Tirupati Joint Collector Shubham Bansal, Horticulture Officer Dasaratharami Reddy, and other officials were present during the Tirupati press conference. Later, Dr Venkateswar visited several pulp units and recommended that they implement a token system for mango farmers to ensure a smooth first-come, first-serve procurement process. For any queries, farmers in Tirupati district can contact the helpline at 0877-2236007, while those in Chittoor district may call 08572-242777 or 9491077325 for assistance.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
MSP for Totapuri mango fails to ease crisis in Tirupati, Chittoor
Tirupati: The mango crisis has intensified in Tirupati and Chittoor districts as the procurement deadlock continues despite the state govt fixing a minimum support price (MSP) of 12 per kg for the "Totapuri" mango variety, predominantly cultivated in these two districts for pulp production. Although the govt issued orders on June 6 mandating pulp units to procure Totapuri mangoes at 8 per kg — with an additional 4 per kg as a direct subsidy to farmers — the situation remains grim as farmers struggle to sell their produce and heaps of mangoes lie unsold at local mandis across the two districts. Though the state govt directed the pulp unit owners to procure the mangoes at Rs.8 per kg, several farmers complained that the pulp unit owners were offering them half the price at 4-5 per kg only owing to a slump in the mangoes prices in the neighbouring of Karnataka following a bumper crop. Though the AP govt issued orders banning the import of mangoes from Karnataka, there was still no respite for the local farmers. On Tuesday, the district collectors of Tirupati and Chittoor huddled into on-field inspections and meetings with the representatives of the pulp units across the two districts to get the situation under control before the crisis further deepens. According to Tirupati collector S Venkateshwar, about 1.55 lakh MT of Totapuri variety mangoes were produced this year in an extent of 14,582 hectares in Tirupati district alone. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Modern Racking Systems That Improve Workflow Search7 Learn More Undo While 25,000 MT of mangoes have already been harvested, about 1.3 lakh MT of mangoes are yet to be harvested. There are a total of 8 pulp units in the district, which are collectively procuring 2000 MT of mangoes on an average every day. The scenario is even more bleak in Chittoor district, where 5 lakh MT of Totapuri mangoes were produced by the farmers in an extent of 98,000 acres this year. The 27 mango pulp units have been collectively processing only 7 MT of mangoes on an average every day. According to Chittoor district-incharge collector G Vidyadhari, once in every two years the mango season witnesses a bumper harvest. In 2023, the pulp units were left behind with 40 MT of mango pulp, which she noted was the main reason behind the reluctance within the pulp units to procure the fruits this season, which again has witnessed a bumper yield this year. Agriculture minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu visited Tirupati and Chittoor districts a couple of days ago and tried to reassure the farmers that the govt already set aside 168 cr for subsidies for the mango farmers. However, farmers are struck with fear of suffering huge loss despite a bumper yield this year.
